HR Heartbeat: Workplace Wellbeing Day, commuting costs, and…

National Workplace Wellbeing Day: time to talk

It’s National Workplace Wellbeing Day on 29th April. This year’s theme is ‘Belonging’, aiming to create workplaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. So, it’s the perfect time to talk about social, physical, and mental wellbeing with your teams. Little changes can make a surprising difference to wellbeing. Think about initiatives like lunchtime walks, internal competitions, virtual wellbeing sessions, or creative workshops.

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 makes you responsible for how happy and safe employees feel when they’re at work. Make a start with a workplace wellbeing policy, covering work-life balance, career breaks, fitness, stress, and sickness absence. You can download a template for free here.

How are you coping with rising costs of commuting?

Rising fuel prices are causing problems for commuters across Ireland, with calls for the State to encourage employers to be flexible around remote working. It might be a good time to review your office-first policy anyway. In a survey earlier this year, one in three employees ranked hybrid working as one of their most important benefits. And a report in July 2025 showed a 25% drop in productivity for staff who work rigidly in the office compared to those on hybrid setups.

Since March 2024, all employees in Ireland have had the right to request remote working. If you receive a request, you’ll have to review it in an objective, fair, and reasonable manner. And if you have good reasons to refuse that request, you’ll have to put them in writing. You can find full details in the WRC’s code of conduct.

Just 6% of businesses are ready for the EU Pay Transparency Directive

The Swedish government has already confirmed it will not implement the Directive in its current form. Instead, it intends to push EU policymakers to postpone the 7th June deadline for implementation into national frameworks, and reopen talks for an amendment.

With less than two months to go, my advice is to prepare as much as you can anyway. The directive is about the right to equal pay, with openness around salary information for employees and fairness and transparency for job applicants. But it also has the potential to give rise to claims of unequal treatment, and the burden of proof will be on employers. Take a look at your recruitment procedures, career pathways, and policies around pay. You can read more about how to prepare here.

And that’s a wrap from me. Tune in next time for my take on the latest headlines and employment law stories, helping keep your business ahead!